Distribution

Widespread in Northern Hemisphere. Introduced to Australia, Argentina, Chile, Lesotho, New Zealand, South Africa (Koch & Smith 2000).

Biology

Phytophagous. In South Africa they feed on Willlows: Salix babylonica Linnaeus, S. fragilis Linnaeus (Salicaceae) (Urban & Eardley 1995, 1997).

References

Goulet, H. 1993. Superfamilies Cephoidea, Megalodontoidea, Orussoidea, Siricoidea, Tenthredinoidea and Xyeloidea (pp. 101-129). In GOULET, H. & HUBER, J. (eds). Hymenoptera of the World: an identification guide to families. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 668 pp.

Koch F. & Smith, D.R. 2000. Nematus oligospilus Förster (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), an introduced willow sawfly in the southern hemisphere. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, Washington 102: 292-300.

Taeger, A., Blank, S. M. and Liston, A. D. 2010. World Catalog of Symphyta (Hymenoptera). Zootaxa 2580: 1-1064.

Urban, A.J. & Eardley, C.D. 1995. A recently introduced sawfly, Nematus oligospilus Förster (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), that defoliates willows in southern Africa. African Entolology 3: 23-27.

Urban, A.J. & Eardley, C.D. 1997. Willow sawfly: A contentious issue. Plant Protection News, Plant Protection Research Institute, Pretoria 47: 20-24.

Credits